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Thank you for your continued interest in the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

FMCS Statement on the Tentative Agreement Between the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and the NYC Hospital Alliance

Date: 6/18/15

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Allison Beck, Acting Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), today announced that with the assistance of Federal mediators, a tentative settlement has been reached between the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and the New York City Hospital Alliance, representing major medical facilities in the city of New York.

Bargaining under the auspices of FMCS mediators, including FMCS Acting Director Allison Beck, Deputy Director Scot Beckenbaugh, and Commissioner Cynthia Jeffries, the nurses’ union and hospital group reached a tentative agreement after many hours of intense talks early today.

Ms. Beck commended the work of FMCS Deputy Director Beckenbaugh and Commissioner Jeffries for their roles in helping the nurses’ union and hospital group overcome major differences at the bargaining table. “We are gratified that our team of mediators was able to provide assistance in these challenging and complex negotiations,” Ms. Beck said. “Ultimately, it was perseverance and hard work by the nurses and hospital management that enabled them to reach agreement.”

The tentative agreement is subject to ratification. As is Agency practice, the FMCS will not comment on the substance or content of the agreement or negotiation.

WASHINGTON, DC—In what has been hailed as the biggest energy-saving standards rulemaking in Department of Energy history, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) assisted industry, government and advocacy groups to achieve major new consensus energy standards for commercial heating and air conditioning equipment. These standards could save nearly 15 quadrillion BTUs (quads) of energy over 30 years and reduce energy consumption and costs by billions of dollars over the lifespan of the equipment.

FMCS Acting Director Allison Beck commended FMCS mediators Eileen Hoffman, Javier Ramirez, Ted Bantle and Isael Hermosillo for facilitating the rulemaking process. “This is a huge accomplishment with far-reaching benefits for our country and its future. The parties dedicated themselves to a collaborative rulemaking process, and we are proud that our mediators were able to help them achieve an extraordinary result.”

While FMCS is known for its distinguished work in the field of labor-management mediation and conflict resolution, the Agency also has a rich history of facilitating collaborative decision-making processes. The Administrative Dispute Resolution and Negotiated Rulemaking Acts of 1990 designated FMCS as a key provider of dispute resolution services to other federal, state, and local government agencies recognizing FMCS’s expertise and ability to reduce costs through the expanded use of alternative dispute resolution processes throughout government.

Ms Beck led a team of FMCS mediators who worked with the parties to craft a settlement agreement last year that provided the foundation for resolving the statewide pension dispute. Provisions of the negotiated agreement are part of the Rhode Island state budget signed into law on June 30, 2015 by Governor Raimondo and are to be implemented with the state’s new fiscal year.
“On behalf of the FMCS mediators who assisted in this important negotiation, we are gratified that the dedication and hard work of the retiree and union negotiating teams, and by the negotiators for the Administration and the Treasurer’s office in this complex and lengthy process have achieved a successful resolution. Their professionalism and perseverance were the keys to ultimately gaining a consensual resolution to what had been an intractable legal dispute. I especially want to commend FMCS Boston and Providence mediators, Commissioners Josh Flax and Joseph Kelleher, for their tireless assistance to the parties. Theirs was a tremendous effort, and they have my personal thanks as well.”

2015 Association of Labor Relations Agencies’ Annual Conference

Date: July 18 – 21, 2015

Description: ALRA is an association of impartial government agencies in the United States and Canada responsible for administering labor-management relations laws or services. This year’s conference will promotes: Cooperation among these agencies, high professional standards, public interest in labor relations, improved employer-employee relationships, peaceful resolution and labor disputes, exchange of information regarding the administration and improvement of agency services including, but not limited to, mediation, conciliation, fact-finding, arbitration or adjudication.

Louisiana-Mississippi Labor-Management Conference

Date: July 27 – 29, 2015

Louisiana-Mississippi Labor-Management Conference

Description: Through annual informational and educational meetings, the Conference is dedicated to Labor-Management cooperation in the private and public sectors. We invite participation by all members of the labor-management community, and encourage Unions and Employers to attend together.